Find Your Ladder
“It’s better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than at the top of the one you don’t”. - Stephen Kellogg
Whether it’s getting promotions or degrees, we are all climbing a ladder. But only some of us are climbing towards a destination we actually want to be in.
Sometimes we choose a ladder simply because that’s the one that presented itself in front of us. It seems sturdy and the reward at the top is visible.
But that doesn’t mean it’s your ladder. Your ladder is the one that is shaky and leads to the unknown. When you stand underneath it and look up, you feel an overwhelming doubt. This fear is your assurance, it’s a positive declaration stating that this is the way towards the life you truly want.
It’s the way towards life's greatest rewards - fulfillment, peace and happiness. These rewards don’t come at the end of your journey, they come after taking your first step.
When you’re doing what you were put on this earth to do then being rich or poor, failing or succeeding, being hated or admired doesn’t matter as much as it used to. You’re content knowing that your greatest gifts are not going to waste.
Photo by Daniel Metz
The Element Of Surprise
Pretend for a second that you could make any wish come true and shape reality to your liking. You would begin to give yourself everything you desire and indulge in every pleasure you could conceive. After awhile of experiencing the predictability and comfort that comes with having full control, you would begin to crave a different kind of pleasure. One that has the element of surprise and a touch of uncertainty. As your wishes become more daring you’ll realize that not knowing what’s around the corner is what makes life the adventure that it is. Eventually you’ll make your final wish - to remove the safety net. To lose your power of having ultimate control and instead of getting everything you wish for, you'll only get what you create. Essential you’ll wish to be living the life you’re living right now.
Inspired by this song I just heard which features the voice of the great Alan Watts.
What Is LiveUnbound?
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When Nothing Is Certain
Fake It Till You Become It
When I was younger I was very shy and whenever I felt that confidence was necessary I would play a little trick on my mind. If I had an important job interview for example, I’d pretend that I was that cliche charismatic guy that everyone wants to be around. I was always shocked when it actually worked. By pretending my weakness were my strengths they failed to define my character. But it was always a bit uncomfortable because I would find myself in situations that demanded skills that I wasn’t sure I had. So again I would pretend like I had them and pretty soon I didn’t need to pretend anymore.
As Amy Cuddy said “Don’t fake it till you make it, fake it till you become it.”
Inspired by this great talk by Amy Cuddy.
Photo by Brian Bielmann
There Is Always A Way
To be truly fulfilled you must create your own path, take risks, stay in touch with what you truly want and take action towards it. Yes there might be failures, setbacks or slow starts but they are all just detours on the road to success. If one idea doesn’t work, try a new one. If that doesn’t work, try a new one. Don’t stop until it works. There is always a way and you will find it.
Photo by Jose Sarrablo
Live Outside The Box
Our Endlessly Surprising Originality
"At our core, with all our similarities, each of us is a completely unique creation. But going too far with our originality is risky, because on some level, we are herd animals. When we go too far from the pack, we begin to feel insecure. So we protect ourselves by limiting the power of our radical and endlessly surprising originality. We’re afraid of the extremes it might lead us to.
Our gifts won’t come out until they sense they will be honored. And when we honor our gifts, we begin to see the scary, magnificent path to the things that matter most."
- Ken Page
Photo by Brian Bielmann
The Never-ending Want
When you’re depleted of energy you need fuel. Everyone has their own version of fuel or the ingredients that make them feel truly alive. Mine has always been inspiration. It makes me feel excited about life and forces me to be in the here and now.
I felt a lack of inspiration lately, partly because I was searching for it in a computer screen, but also because I was overwhelmed with desires. A desire to experience adventures and to make my mark. In Zen they say to get rid of all desires and you’ll be free but isn’t that a desire of its own?
I think desires are essential; they give you purpose and when you achieve them they give you fulfillment. But when they become an uncontrollable obsession they eliminate the magic that is required to attain them. When they begin to define your character you must work on detaching from the never-ending want.
That was the purpose of the snowboarding trip I just took. I got completely lost in the ride until the destination became irrelevant. The thrill of the moment was no longer distracted by the dream of a brighter future. I feel fully rejuvenated and ready to get back to the work that I love.
Photo by Karezoid Michal Karcz
Permanent Vacation
"I’m sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Jamaica, checking my e-mail, two people walk by and in a harsh whisper a women says to her friend, “isn’t that sad? That guy comes here on a vacation and he’s stuck checking his e-mail. He can’t even enjoy his two weeks off.” I think the real question (the one they probably wouldn’t want to answer) was, “isn’t it sad that we have a job where we spend two weeks avoiding the stuff we have to do 50 weeks a year?” It took me a long time to figure out why I was so happy to be checking my e-mail on vacation. It had to do with passion."
- Seth Godin.
Photographer unknown
Finding The Key
No Regrets
People are very quick to say they have no regrets. It’s important to feel the pain of the mistakes we’ve made in the past. The discomfort it creates is fuel for change.
Photo by Hoch Zwei
The Blank Canvas
Every morning we wake up face to face with a blank canvas and an opportunity to create whatever we envision.
Photograph by Nick Van Buuren
The Reality Distortion Field
The earth is not flat and cigarettes are not good for your health. We were wrong then so what makes us think we are right now?
The facts we live by (the ones that often limit us) could very well be false. Despite this we acquire our beliefs and rational based on these facts. But some people ignore facts, they ignore logic, they ignore reality because they feel it’s based on a human misunderstanding. These people shape our future and they redefine our limitations.
Surfer: Garrett McNamara // Photo: Tó Mané
They are the reason why there has been more progress in the last 100 years then there has in the last billion. For example, Steve Jobs lived in a “reality distortion field” (as his colleagues named it) which enabled him to build an empire that revolutionized how human beings interact with each other. Felix Baumgartner skydived from space and Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes.
This is what I mean by live unbound. Set your limitations based on what YOU feel like you can accomplish instead of abiding by guidelines the world has set for you.
Be careful of the logic you’ve acquired because when you feel like you can, it will easily justify why you can’t.
Photo by Johanna Kirk
LIVING VICARIOUSLY
We stare into this rectangle for the majority of our lives. Why not? Everything and anything is one click away. But it’s also a reminder of the adventures we’re not taking and the dreams we’re not living. Stop living vicariously and start living unbound.
Photograph by © JP Photography
CREATE LIKE A GOD AND WORK LIKE A SLAVE
Here are 5 random thoughts I'd like to share:
1. A pessimist daydreams about misery while on a road trip to doom, as opposed to the optimist, who is aware that he controls the car.
2. A failure is a successful discovery of one approach that doesn’t work. That and a reminder that you’re one step closer.
3. The problem with human beings is not that they are afraid to die, it’s that they are afraid to live.
4. Your life is like a book but you’re not the main character, you’re the writer.
5. Rock bottom is a solid foundation for rebuilding.
Photograph by © Wolfgang Lienbacher
I'MPOSSIBLE - A NEW VIDEO BY LIVEUNBOUND
Here is part 1 of the latest LiveUnbound video staring Jeb Corliss. A year ago I saw videos of Jeb and thought to myself, damn I need to meet this guy! I never tried reaching out to him, I just got a call one day saying "hey can you interview Jeb Corliss?" It’s funny how amazing things happen when you’re following your passion.
Thanks to Ten Tree and the inspire campaign for hooking this up.
ARE WE THERE YET?
We asked it when we were kids and we continue to ask it as adults. We’re so focused on getting there as fast as possible that we forget where we’re going.
"If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around." - Jim Rohn
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK
Our minds work hard to avoid the pain that is necessary for our growth. Don't forget that the good you’ve gained was sometimes painfully won. Remembering that you have emerged wiser and stronger from your struggles means that you are secure in your ability to survive.
Inspired by this powerful JK Rowling speech.
Photograph by © Bernie Baker // Oahu, Hawaii:
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